Chapter 1: "4 A.M"

Author's notes: Okay, there are a few things I need to get through before we go any further. I know putting in originals isn't a popular step, but please understand something. They are not the new focal point of the story, by any stretch of the imagination. They're merely another side of the story. Malik, Bakura and Yami are the main parts of this story. And that's only the prologue, if anyone paid attention. The rest of the story isn't going to be like that. Trust me.

AN2: The way I have set up to do this chapter is a bit hard to explain since you're reading it on a web page. Each page is a different point of view. Enjoy ~

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Domino City, Japan

The red digital numbers on the clock were becoming blurry. More than blurry, they almost bled into one another, creating a mass of red lines. There was barely any light in the room, only the small ray of light coming from my lamp. My back was beginning to ache; I had been hunched over the desk for…how long had it been? Ten hours, at the very least, I figured. It seemed like so much longer, looking at book after book of hieroglyphs, legends, all sorts of things from Ancient Egypt. I had started this all night research spree in the hopes of finding that *cure* for the ceremony that Malik performed.

…Whom am I kidding?

That's not why Bakura left. He left because of me. Why was I so blind? It had started out perfect, until Malik had shown up, and that's when I began to slowly doubt Bakura. It was one thing that Bakura hated, and that was to be doubted in matters of the heart. Even when he was a purely evil side to Ryou, he thought of love as a joy. Of course, no one really heard this except for a select few, and those who did, quickly died.

As much as I had once been loath to admit it, it was my fault he left. Although I did not remember much as to why Bakura told me it was my fault, there was that little bit of myself from five thousand years ago that shone through. I hated to be lectured, as I'm sure everyone else is, but when I'm lectured…I fire back. As much as I try around Yugi and his friends not to do that, sometimes it just comes out.

I sighed, closing my eyes as they were practically screaming at me for rest. They were becoming strained in the dim light. I could feel myself drift off and I forced myself to stay awake, even if my eyes were closed. There was no way I could be sleeping now. I had to…to… what was I doing? Now I was going around in circles. This had happened at least twice now. I stopped for just a moment then began questioning just why the hell I was doing this. It wouldn't solve anything, one of the most important things in my life was gone, and I was the one that drove them away.

I did realise that it wasn't totally my fault (it was just a really large part) since Malik Ishtar did have a huge involvement in the affair. Yugi had told me that Ryou explained to him what had been going on when he had gone after Bakura before they left. Well, what Ryou wanted to tell Yugi, anyway, apparently there was a lot more to this story than either of us knew. But still, I felt there was something I had done wrong that was more important than that. Something that shook the foundation of our relationship to the core.

All I had to do now, naturally, was find out what that was. Easier said than done, and the only people that could possibly help me, they're all gone. Slowly leaning back into the chair, I leaned my head back on the back arch of the chair, staring up at the ceiling. Where had they gone? Ryou didn't tell Yugi that, and neither of us really knew, in this time of confusion and hurt, where they could have gone.

But even if we did know, what good will it have done? It would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. And I knew Bakura didn't want to see me or even hear my name. That throws a bit of a monkey wrench into trying to convince him to come back home. Yugi kept telling me to give it time, that the love we shared was something special, and you have to let the one you love go at a point in time, and if they really loved us, they would come back. But it was hard to tell when you're just a spirit and your love was another spirit who had a bad enough track record as it is with you specifically.

My eyes closed again, and this time, I drifted off into a cold, dark dream world…

Marketplace, Egypt

Sasha glanced around and walked through the old-fashioned market. It was odd, to find one such as this, in a city such as Cairo. Isis had asked her to get some things as she was going to make them a traditional Egyptian meal, as a welcoming gift and a thank you for being a big help in the Museum. She felt a tad out of place; the market teeming with people in typical Egyptian dress, and here she was practically screaming out she was Canadian. Glancing back at the list Isis gave her, she sweatdropped. How was she going to find any of these things?

Deciding to just wing it, she walked along the market stalls, asking for help when she needed it. The people were nice to her, noticing she was a foreigner, giving her the assistance she needed and she got most of the items. Blinking she noticed one last one that none of the other merchants she had talked to knew about. "Great," she muttered. "This is going to be one hell of a needle in a haystack game."

Slightly clasping her onyx pendant that was in the shape of a panther, Sasha began another mini-adventure, trying to find the last item. As she was holding onto it, walking and reading the list at the same time, she bumped into someone hard. Her hand yanked back, snapping the chain the pendant was on. The person glared at her, with hateful purple eyes. "Watch where the hell you're going." She caught an Egyptian accent.

"Jeez, I'm sorry, it was an accident," Sasha said, as the boy grabbed the things he had dropped, and unbeknownst to her, her pendant. "Say wait, you look like you're a … knowledgeable…person…about things…Do you know what this is?"

The boy looked annoyed, but seeing as though she wasn't going to leave him alone anytime soon, snatched the paper and looked at it. His eyes widened slightly as if he recognised the recipe, then cleared his throat and looked at Sasha. "Yes I do. But… just what are you doing with this recipe?"

"Well you see, my boss wanted to make me and my brother dinner for helping her out, and then sent me to get the ingredients," Sasha explained. "But you still haven't answered my question. What is it?"

He looked around the nearby stalls, and picked up some kind of fruit that Sasha definitely wasn't familiar with. "This is it." He put it back down then put the paper back in Sasha's hands. "Now get out of my way." Shoving past her, he walked further down the market and out of her sight.

Looking baffled as he left, Sasha looked back at the fruit and picked it up. "I know I'm just a stupid tourist, but there was no reason to be so rude." She muttered under her breath as she paid for two of the fruits, "must have a pole shoved up his ass." Reaching around her neck to toy with her necklace's chain, her face paled as she realised that it wasn't there. Frantically looking around she couldn't see it anywhere. "Oh no … Whoever has my necklace has no idea the power that resides in it…"

Malik pulled the hood of his purple cloak over his head and continued walking back to his house. Looking down at his hands he noticed that something had caught on one of the ridges of the Millennium Rod. It seemed to be some sort of pendant, attached to a silver chain. "Hmm, interesting trinket." Frowning suddenly, he realised the pendant's black stone reminded him of Bakura. Then again, everything had reminded him of the white-haired Devil. But it was no use thinking about someone who didn't want you, right?

It was always easier said than done, not thinking about the one you love. Or did he really love him in the first place? Now that he thought about it, Malik wasn't sure what he was thinking or feeling when he went to Domino. It seemed he had done everything in Domino based on what Isis told him. And look where that got him. Back home in Egypt and heart-broken. Then again, he did this to himself and had no one to blame but himself. Rishid … even Rishid told him that this pain was caused by himself. And the Ishtar heir knew he was right. Hell, everyone was right, Bakura, Rishid, Isis, even Yami!

As he continued to think about Bakura, the onyx pendant shaped slightly like a panther began to glow dimly. Malik barely noticed it as he walked through the market place, but he could feel the hate and resentment build up in his heart, and as it did, the pendant glowed brighter until he looked down at it. "What dark power resides in you, trinket?" He held it up and examined the stone. Remembering the annoying girl that had bothered him had been wearing it; he clenched the chain his hand. "You might prove useful."

Bakura grew annoyed as he waited at the street corner for Ryou. The stupid kid said he was going to be just a moment. That he had to find Isis Ishtar and talk to her. What was taking him so long? That enigmatic woman usually had an idea where everyone was, so would it take him so long just to find her and bring her out here? Knowing Ryou, probably. Bakura sighed and tapped his foot. He should have been a bit more lenient, considering Ryou didn't have to even come with him from Domino to Egypt, and the only reason he got to Egypt was because of Ryou's father.

Looking around, Bakura saw the locals walk around and fan themselves from the stifling heat. It seemed only Bakura and a few of the older locals weren't as bothered by the heat. Everyone else was finding ways to cool down. Rubbing his arms idly, Bakura's slender fingers ran over the slightly deep groves that formed the hieroglyphics. All this time alone made his mind wander—and he hated that. How he wished it were back to the times at Duellist Kingdom—when all he cared about were gathering all seven Millennium Items. Now it seems that Fate has a cruel destiny in store for him.

Suddenly he saw a flash of red, black and gold and quickly scanned the crowd for Yami. But there was nothing, it was just a blanket on a camel. Closing his eyes and sighing heavily, Bakura leaned against the stone wall. He put his face in his hands, groaning. How could he think of that stupid Pharaoh at a time like this? Bakura paused. But wait, the only reason he was here was because of Yami. He had to get away from, and from … Malik. But nothing had been resolved with Yami.

'Nothing needs to be resolved,' Bakura thought, growling slightly, now getting frustrated with himself. Some passers-by stopped and glanced at the startling albino boy, but Bakura paid them no mind. He again stopped, after thinking about it. 'What am I talking about? There's a lot. He didn't know about Malik's tricks, Ryou told me that … but … then … why do I feel such hatred to him?' Clenching his hands into fists, Bakura decided to let his mind reason this out. 'Now that I think about it … I don't have a good reason. To hell with this! I came here to stop thinking about that stupid Pharaoh, Malik, the whole friggin' lot of them! I'm getting Ryou and whether we find Isis today or not, I'm not standing out here by myself any longer. I'm going to turn into a fucking mess.'

Walking to the museum, Bakura opened the large doors and walked in, frowning as he saw his light holding hands with some brown boy. Striding over to them, Bakura stopped behind Ryou and cleared his throat. The quieter white-haired boy jumped and turned around, releasing Rick's hand in the process. "Bakura!" He exclaimed, putting a hand to his chest. "What are you doing here? I said I'd come and meet you."

Bakura looked flatly at him. "I got tired of waiting. What happened to finding Isis?" Ryou blushed, feeling quite stupid. Bakura sighed, and looked at Rick. "And who the hell are you?" Noting a nametag, Bakura realised the boy must work here. "Rick is it? Where's Isis? It seems my … brother here is too shy to get to the damned point."

Rick blinked. "Isis? —Oh yeah! Hold on a moment, I'll go and get her." He looked at Ryou sheepishly before heading to the back and poking around for Malik's sister. As Rick went to the back, Ryou turned to his unimpressed other half.

"I had no idea you went that way, Ryou," Bakura said flatly, still finding it entertaining to torment his Aibou's feelings.

Ryou blushed again. "You've got it wrong, yami," he began, searching for a descent excuse. "We were just caught up in a conversation."

"Cut the bullshit Ryou, I know you weren't talking." Bakura kept his eyes trained on the doorway, which Rick had disappeared into. Finally Rick came back with Isis in tow. Bakura's eyes travelled to Rick's neck, where a diamond tiger pendant was attached to a thin silver chain. 'Interesting. Not many people have a pure diamond pendant. I sense some power within it. It's pure, almost identical to the energy Ryou has.'

Isis smiled pleasantly at the two of them, and a bit more sympathetically to Bakura. "It's unfortunate that we meet under these circumstances, Bakura," she said, and Rick blinked. Wasn't that Ryou's last name? How could it be his brother's first name? He then sensed a dark energy about the one Isis called 'Bakura'. It was the energy he and Sasha had sensed earlier in the day. Was he the one they were searching for?

-TBC-

Author's note: Sure it's moving slowly, but it'll get good, promise! Keep the faith! XD